


Wedding Bells

by cresswells



Series: Fallout [4]
Category: Bloodlines Series - Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-17
Updated: 2012-08-17
Packaged: 2017-11-12 08:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/488947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cresswells/pseuds/cresswells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sparks fly behind closed doors at Sonya and Mikhail's wedding.  They don't go unnoticed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wedding Bells pt. 1

"Sydney. Wait."

Adrian wasn't sure why he'd chased after her. He'd long accepted that he was a glutton for punishment; after all, he'd spent the best part of the last year chasing after Rose like a whipped puppy running back to the familiar arms of a cruel master. After Sydney had rebuffed him, he'd deliberately distanced himself from her, not wanting to become that man again. And yet here he was, calling out to her as she fled Sonya and Mikhail's wedding reception looking for all the world like a real-life Cinderella. Only it wasn't a dashing prince Sydney Sage was running from. He'd seen the dull look in her eyes as she sat alone among the dancing guests. It was a look he was all too familiar with. Loneliness. And he knew just as well as she did how painful it was to feel alone in the middle of a crowd.

So when she'd stood up and edged her way warily through the throng of dancing moroi and dhampirs towards the exit, he'd found his own feet moving him in her direction, chasing blindly after her without really realising where he was going until he was outside the huge greenhouse, just a few steps from where she now stood.

Sydney tensed at the sound of his voice and when she turned to face him, her eyes didn't quite meet his. "Adrian," she said tiredly. "What do you want?"

_You. I want to see you smile. I want to hear you chattering away about architecture or chemistry, or any number of dull subjects that normally I couldn't care less about. I want to kiss you again and feel you kissing me back._

"Well," he said in a light, careful voice, "it's a wedding. I was going to ask for a dance."

Sydney's eyes flew up to meet his, wide with shock. She stood rigid in her gorgeous taupe gown, hands clenched at her sides. She took a step further from him; a step further out of sight of the dhampir guardians standing watch by the entrance of the domed glass greenhouse.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said.

"Come on, Sage," he wheedled. "Just one dance. Then you can leave, go back to your empty room to report on the wedding security and life at Court and whatever else it is the alchemists want to know. I won't try to stop you. Just one dance."

She didn't reply. She just stood there, staring at him. Her gaze stripped him bare. He knew he looked good in the tux he'd fished out for the occasion but with Sydney he found it impossible to hide behind his looks and a charming smile. He'd let her under his skin and now, when she looked at him like that, she saw everything. She saw past the pretences, the sharp wit and narcissism, to the broken, half-mad man he really was. Even Jill couldn't ever understand him in the way she did. And in her, he saw a kindred spirit, a hollow girl, her outer shell cracking under the weight of so many expectations. Prim and proper she might be, but Sydney Sage was the one person he could not hide from. The one person he didn't want to hide from.

She pursed her lips and he could almost see the painted cogs turning in her mind, ticking away as she analysed his words and applied logic and reason to them. Any moment now she would turn away.

And then the most remarkable thing happened. She took a step closer.

"Adrian," she said in a half-strangled voice, her eyes swimming with sadness, "I'm tired."

And although the words could have been a refusal, Adrian knew what she really meant. He was tired too – tired of pretending that he wasn't in love with her; tired of maintaining a cool distance whenever he spoke to her. Tired of feigning neutrality as he watched Sydney struggle with the war between her head and her heart.

"Oh, Sage," was all he said, and then she was in his arms without him quite understanding how she'd come to be there.

"Adrian," she breathed into his shirt as she clutched the back of his jacket in an unusual display of affection, "I –"

"Shh," he said. He didn't want them to talk. They'd only end up arguing, and he didn't want this brief respite from Sydney's cold, distant professionalism to end so soon. "We're supposed to be dancing, remember?"

She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes and letting him tug her closer. The darkness of the night and the thick green tendrils adorning the glass walls provided a small degree of privacy and he was determined to make the most of it. His hands splayed out on her lower back, feeling the dip just above her bony hips and the curve of her spine jutting out against his fingertips. She wasn't quite skin and bone, but she was getting there – he knew from Jill that she'd been eating less and less recently. It had diminished her beauty but it did nothing to quell his attraction to her. Instead, it only worsened the regret he felt at distancing himself from her. The make-up she wore did little to hide the shadows under her eyes and he knew that he was partly to blame for the churning thoughts that kept her up at night.

Despite the late December chill, her skin still smelled of summer dust and a sweet floral perfume he recognised from the last time he had held her this close. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of summer sunshine that belonged to no one else but Sydney Sage.

"Adrian," she said in a small voice as they swayed, "I'm sorry. I know you must hate me for even saying those words, but I mean it. I'm sorry I can't… be with you the way you want me to. I just…" She opened her eyes and stared at him, more confused and conflicted than he'd ever seen her look before.

"I know," he said as his heart twisted with a curiously muted pain. He knew that it would hurt more later. Now, with Sydney so close, with her arms reaching up to wrap around his neck and her eyes burning into his, it was bearable. Maybe his actions tonight had been crazy, but if this was Spirit's doing he'd gladly accept the inevitable fall into madness.

He knew he shouldn't be holding her like this. It was too soon. Eighteen years of indoctrination against his kind hadn't been undone by a single kiss, and it likely wouldn't be undone at all if he kept pushing. _Just one dance,_ he told himself as they swayed to the faint whine of violins on the other side of the glass. He moved lazily, leading her into a slow-stepped dance and she matched each movement perfectly.

"You can dance," she said, sounding bemused and a little dazed. Her fingers, seemingly of their own accord, brushed the hair at the nape of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

"Don't be so surprised, Sage," Adrian said with a grin. "The Ivashkovs are royalty, remember?" He dipped her without warning, hoping to catch her off guard, but she simply leaned back in his arms, trusting him completely.

"You're not going to ask why _I_ learned?" she asked as he brought her closer to him again.

"'Course not," he said. "You can do everything else. Why would dancing be any different?"

She smiled, letting him lead her into another step as they twirled effortlessly, the cold night air tugging at their formal wear.

"There," he said, bending down to breathe the words close to her skin. "That's better."

She lost her smile and stiffened, seeming to realise for the first time that she was dancing with a moroi. The vampire she'd been avoiding for a month and a half. And then she relaxed completely in his arms, giving herself over to the ever-present tug that he now knew she felt too.

"It's okay, Sage," he whispered into her skin. "There's no one else here. Just you and me."

He didn't voice what they both knew. That soon, this moment would end. And when it did, neither of them would know where they now stood with each other.

"What did you mean, 'that's better'?" she asked him as they continued to sway on the spot, so close now that even their feet were touching.

"You just… you looked so lost and sad," he said softly, hugging her tightly. "So alone. I just wanted to make you smile."

"You always make me smile," she said.

"Not always." He couldn't help but remember that day. The day he'd kissed her. The day she'd walked away from him.

Her smile now was sad again. "You do," she said. "You make me cry and lie awake at night cursing myself. And sometimes just the thought of you makes me feel like I'm going insane. But most of all… most of all, you make me smile."

It wasn't much of a declaration, but it was a start. Hell, it was the closest she'd come to admitting her feelings since she'd returned his kiss in November. She wasn't ready for anything more and he knew it'd be a while before she would be. But this he could accept. This could tide him over.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and tugged her closer, his heart plummeting at the knowledge that all too soon he'd have to let her go.


	2. Wedding Bells pt. 2

Jill collapsed into a velvet-cushioned seat, groaning aloud in frustration.

"Jill? You okay there?" asked a familiar voice.

If there was one person at this wedding that Jill hadn't really been looking forward to seeing (other than her sister) it was Rose Hathaway. She liked Rose. She'd kind of idolised her, even. But that had been before the bond. Seeing Rose through a hurt and angry Adrian's eyes had given her a new perspective. She still liked Rose, but it was hard to separate her own feelings from Adrian's sometimes. So although Rose was the only person who could really help her with the newly-forged bond, she'd deliberately distanced herself slightly from the older girl before arriving in Palm Springs. Jill had a good feeling Rose knew why, and if she'd been hurt by it, she'd been good enough not to say so.

Rose stood before her, hands on hips, looking as gorgeous and sultry as ever in a pair of regulation black Guardian trousers and a very _non-_ regulation silky red strap top that showed off her perfectly toned shoulders and biceps. Rose was officially on the job, as were all the Guardians here but they'd all splashed a little colour into their uniforms for the celebration. Jill tensed and twisted her fingers together in her lap, remembering why the celebration was such a high-security event. The last time she and her sister – the Queen – had been in the same room, she'd nearly died. Scratch that – she _had_ died. And although Sonya and Mikhail had invited less than twenty guests, those guests included Queen Vasilissa Dragomir and her partner Christian Ozera, of the disgraced Ozera family; the queen's notorious dhampir guard Rose Hathaway; the entire team working on the Spirit experiments; an Alchemist; a member of the anti-Court Keepers society, and a former Strigoi – two, if you counted the bride. Oh, and Jill herself.

A few weeks ago, Jill had been looking forward to this event. She was tired of being cooped up in Palm Springs, sick of the twisting feeling she felt in her gut every time she saw Eddie and Angeline together, and she felt as though she was being driven out of her mind by Adrian's longing for Sydney, which was easily three times worse than his depression after the break-up with Rose.

This, though, made her long for Palm Springs again. It was just… so frustrating to see everyone continuing on with their lives at Court, knowing that this was just a short visit back to the Moroi world, one in which she wouldn't even be allowed to see her parents. Lissa hadn't spoken to her yet – she was too busy dancing with her boyfriend, enjoying the brief moment of freedom from her duties. Jill felt a faint twinge of pain at that – she was just another unpleasant part of her newfound sister's duties, nothing more.

Rose plonked herself down on the chair beside Jill. Jill frowned down at her. "Aren't you supposed to be over there?" She waved a hand in the direction of Lissa. "You know, guarding?"

Rose smiled and tucked a glossy brown curl behind her ear. "In a big event like this, the Queen has far more than the usual number of guards at her disposal. They've worked out a system, where –" She broke off, making a face. "Sorry, I sound like Dimitri. Basically, Lissa's given me the night off. I'm still on duty, though, and you're just as top-security as she is."

Jill looked over her shoulder at the guards surreptitiously hovering there. "Don't I know it."

Rose eyed her as she sat back, lounging in the chair. "Not that it's any of my business," she said, "but you don't seem as happy as Eddie to be back here."

Jill couldn't help but search for him at the mention of his name. It didn't take long to find him in the small crowd of the beautifully lit greenhouse. Eddie and Angeline were dancing. They'd been dancing all night. It was nauseating.

Rose smirked, noting Jill's reaction as she turned deliberately away from the couple.

"You look really pretty tonight, Jill," she said, sounding genuine. "That dress is gorgeous. Judging from the way his eyes seem to keep flitting over to you, Eddie certainly seems to think so, anyway."

"You don't have to do that," Jill said stiffly. "Why are you here, Rose? Other than to pry into my personal life?"

Rose looked taken aback. Her face stiffened angrily and she opened her mouth – perhaps to retort with her usual sassiness –then paused, seeming to think better of her first instincts.

"Listen," she said in a calm, persuasive voice. "I just wanted you to know that if the bond's giving you trouble… Well, I've had plenty of experience with that. I know how it can affect your temper and make you feel like you're going crazy. And I can help you through that. I'm here for you. And if it's just Adrian's mood swings giving you trouble… Well, I'm not his favourite person right now, but I've had plenty of experience with that, too." She smiled wistfully. No matter how badly their relationship had ended, she seemed to still really care about him.

Jill felt the anger drain out of her. Now that she stopped to think about it, she realised she'd been angry for days. Angry with Sydney for her treatment of Adrian, angry with Adrian for wallowing in his heartbreak alone, angry with Eddie and Angeline for… well… being _happy_ together. Was all that anger really hers? Or was it Spirit, leaking through the bond? She supposed she really did need Rose's help after all.

And Rose seemed… different, somehow, than when they'd last spoken properly. Jill guessed that going to college and becoming a full-time Guardian had to pretty be life-changing. Or maybe it was that she no longer felt any lingering resentment towards the girl who'd broken Adrian's heart now that the bond was tugging her towards a very different kind of heartbreak.

"I… I might take you up on that," Jill said quietly, her fingers twisting themselves into knots on her lap.

"Well, I'll be here," Rose said easily. "And Sydney has my number if you ever want to call when you're back in Palm Springs."

Jill couldn't help but scowl at Sydney's name. Rose, as observant as ever, took notice and leaned forward.

"What's up with you and Sydney? I tried talking to her earlier but she seemed… distant. More wary of my company than usual, I mean."

Jill guessed that Sydney's aversion to Rose's company had less to do with her Alchemist beliefs than the fear that Rose, as Adrian's former girlfriend and a Guardian trained in the skills of observation, would be able to see the way she looked at him and draw the same conclusion that Jill already had: no matter how adamantly she denied it, Sydney Sage was just as in love with Adrian Ivashkov as he was with her.

Jill shrugged. "I like Sydney most of the time. But right now… It's a long story."

"Huh," said Rose. She leaned back, studying Sydney across the dance floor. The Alchemist girl was sitting alone in a chair near the dancing guests, smoothing down invisible creases in her gorgeous flowing brown dress. She looked very out of place amongst the dhampirs and moroi. She was as beautiful as ever, and almost without her consent, Jill found herself admiring the cut of her neat blonde hair and the glimmer of the lily on her cheek. Adrian's influence, she knew now. Adrian was sitting a little way away, nursing a bottle of pop – just pop, nothing else – and watching Sydney too. Keeping his distance, Jill thought sadly. Just looking at him, she could feel his longing and regret through the bond. Regret for pushing her, acting too soon and scaring her off. Not for kissing her. He'd never regret _that_.

Jill sighed heavily. Rose turned to her. "You okay?"

Jill nodded, pushing herself away from Adrian's churning thoughts.

Rose didn't even have to hesitate. "Is it the bond?"

Jill nodded again.

Rose turned to look at Adrian. "He feels things so strongly," she said. "Just like Lissa. The bond used to drive me crazy. I can only imagine…" She trailed off, still staring at Adrian. Who was still nursing his drink and staring at –

Oh. Oops.

Rose swore suddenly. And loudly. A couple of the guards behind us frowned, like they disapproved of one of the Queen's own guardians swearing in front of a sixteen-year-old while on duty.

"Jill… you want to explain again why you're mad at Sydney right now?" Rose asked in a hushed voice, leaning closer to Jill as if trying to keep the conversation from the guardians hovering around them. She looked shocked at what she saw.

"Um… no?" Jill replied meekly.

Rose shook her head, eyes wide in bewilderment and something else. "This is crazy, even by Adrian's standards. She's a human. No, she's an _Alchemist_ , for Christ's sake. I'm glad he's moved on and all, but… what the hell is he _thinking_?"

Jill couldn't help but bristle at Rose's disbelieving tone. She knew the older girl didn't mean anything by it, and if she wasn't privy to Adrian's every thought she probably would've reacted the same way. As it was, she knew that there had been very little thinking involved.

"Adrian follows his heart first and his mind second," Jill said softly as they watched Sydney rise and make her way across the dance floor towards the exit. "You of all people should know that." Rose's expression softened as Jill continued, "Sydney, of course, does the opposite."

Rose shook her head sadly. "Oh, Adrian," she said as they watched him rise to move in her direction. "You sure know how to pick 'em. I hoped that once he got out of Court he'd find a girl who'd be able to return his feelings. Instead he goes straight for the one girl who never will."

Jill said nothing. Sydney's feelings weren't hers to share. Plus, she had a feeling that Rose, who'd known the pre-Adrian Sydney pretty well, wouldn't believe her even if she did. Jill still remembered how formal and distant Sydney had been with her when they'd first arrived in Palm Springs.

Rose still looked a little bit bewildered. "Don't get me wrong," she said. "I really like Sydney. But I _so_ didn't see this coming. They're just total opposites." Rose paused for a moment, before she grinned mischievously. "Though that can be a good thing. I guess even guys like Adrian have a secret librarian fantasy."

"Oh, gross," Jill said, a blush rising to her cheeks even as she smiled a little. Rose's sense of humour reminded her a lot of Adrian's, and she'd missed Adrian's snark.

Rose's grin faded as they watched Adrian cross the dance floor, swerving past the happy couples, his eyes fixed on the blonde girl hurrying from the greenhouse. When Jill sighed unhappily, Rose leaned over and took her hand in a reassuring grip.

"Don't worry about Adrian," she said. "There's someone out there for him. He's just not looking in the right places. Someday he'll find a girl who –"

She broke off once again. Jill wasn't sure why – then she felt it through the bond. The warm rush of emotion that Adrian only felt for one person. When she peered in the direction Rose was staring, what she saw made her gasp and lean forward in her chair.

Adrian had caught up with Sydney just outside the entrance to the greenhouse. They were almost completely hidden from view by the darkness outside and the foliage curling up the greenhouse walls. Only the candlelight inside and the glass walls (along with Jill and Rose's superior vampiric eyesight) made them visible. Still, Jill doubted that anyone not actively looking for them would see the couple embracing by the greenhouse doors.

Adrian had his arms around Sydney. And Sydney, the golden lily on her cheek hidden in the darkness outside, was leaning into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as they swayed in time to the gentle string music the band had just begun to play. He bent down to whisper something to her. She tensed and for a moment, it looked as though she was going to pull away. And then she relaxed, leaning closer.

Adrian's emotional response was so strong that Jill had a hard time fighting the pull from his mind. She did though, not wanting to intrude on this moment. She doubted it would last long.

Beside her, Rose seemed lost for words. Or, at least, lost for words that weren't a garbled string of shocked expletives.

"Damn," she said at last, once the tirade was over, "I _knew_ I should've stayed in Palm Springs. I miss everything back here." Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she turned to Jill. "Who else knows about this?"

"No one," Jill said with hurried anxiety. "I mean, we all kind of know that Adrian's completely hung up over Sydney, but I'm the only one who knows that she's completely hung up over him too even though Sydney herself isn't even one hundred per cent aware of it, but still, both of them would probably kill me if they knew I was talking about it, especially to you –"

Rose laughed and Jill felt her cheeks reddening again.

"Please," she said. "You won't say anything, will you?"

Rose shook her head slowly. "This is too weird," she said. "I don't know whether to be happy for them or worry about their mental health. You know what Sydney called me when we first met? Unnatural. And now she's…"

Jill smiled. "Sydney's different now," she said.

Rose smiled and glanced once more in the direction of the faintly-visible couple, still swaying in time to the music wafting out through the doors and into the cool night air. "Yeah," she said after a while. "I guess she is."


End file.
